Body-elevating mechanism for vehicles.



T. WRIGHT.

BODY ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.27. 1913.

LIMA? Patented 00t.19, 1915.

2SHEETSSHEET l.

Attorneys T. WRIGHT.

BODY ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.27. 1913.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V Witnesses Inventor COLUMBIA PLANOFRAI n L0 \smv'rrw n L nrroivrnswnrerrr, or JERSEY CI.TY,.1\TEW Jnnsn-Y.

BODY-ELEVA'IING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 119, 1915.

Application filed December 27, 1913. Serial No. 809,026.

To all whom ttmag concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at J ersey-City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and useful Body-Elevating Mechanism forVehicles, of which the following-is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism whereby the body of a vehicle can bereadily raised relative to the chassis, thus rendering the improvementsparticularly desirable for use in connection with coal wagons and thelike.

Another object is to provide mechanism of this character which is simplein construction and compact.

A further object is toprovide elevating mechanism which will hold thebody against tilting laterally while lifted off of the chassis.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in theprecise'embodiment of the,

invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what isclaimed, without departing from the spirit of the'invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention havebeen shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side ele vation of a portion of avehicle having a body provided with one form of hoisting mechanism. Fig.2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection through one end of a cross strip.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of a' vehicle and showing amodified form of hoisting mechanism. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of thestructure shown in Fig. 4c.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates aportion of the chassis of a vehicle, the same having a suitablesuperstructure 2 thereon constituting a support or rest for the bottomframe 3 of the vehicle body 4, said body being of any preferredconstruction. Formed under the ends of the frame 3 are cross strips 5and extending upwardly from the corners of the superstructure 2 areposts 6 preferably made of metal of the usual L or angle shape in crosssectional contour. The corners of the frame 3 and of the cross strips 5fit into the angle portions of these posts 6, so that the frame is thusheld against lateral and longitudinal shifting relative to thechassis 1. Mounted within the upper end portions of the posts 6 aresheaves 7 and journaled upon the superstructure so as to extendlongitudinally under the center of the frame 3,.is a shaft 8, one end ofwhich may be pro vided with a crank'arm 9 or the like whereby the shaftmay be rotated. Secured to this shaft is a drum 10 and secured to thedrum are two hoisting chains, cables, or other flexible elementsindicated at 11 and which diverge upwardly to the sheaves 7. It is ofcourse to be understood that two drums 10 are employed, one beinglocated near each end of the frame 3 so that there are thus two pairs ofdiverging hoisting elements 11, one pair extending from each drum. Thehoisting elements of each pair extend over the sheaves engaged therebyand thence downwardly between the end posts 6 and through aperturesformed within the cross strips 5, one of these apertures being indicatedat 12 in Fig. 3. The flexible hoisting elements 11 are extended inwardlyunder the cross strips 5 from the openings 12 and are provided, at theirinner ends, with bolts 13 extending into a turn buckle 14. Thus it willbe seen that, by means of the turn buckles at the two ends of thestructure, the flexible hoisting elements 11 can be drawn toward eachother so as to be rendered taut while the frame 3 is resting on thesuperstructure 2 and, consequently, when the shaft 8 is rotated and allof the flexible hoisting elements 11 are wound upon the drums 10, thebody and its frame 3 will be maintained horizontal at all times duringthe upward movement thereof, said body being guided in its movement bythe angular corner posts 6. Top strips connect the upper ends of theposts 6 at each end, these strips being indicated at 15. These topstrips 15 prevent the posts from spreading apart. The posts are alsoheld together by means of crossed braces 16.

It is to be understood that any suitable means, such as pawl and ratchetmechanism as shown, may be provided'for preventing the flexible hoistingelements from unwinding from the drums, while the body 4 is in elevatedposition.

It will be understood that the entire struc- I ture made up of thesuperstructure 2, the

posts 6, the body and the operating mechanism, is complete in itself andis adapted to be applied to the chassis of a vehicle alreadyconstructed, it merely being necessary to secure the superstructure tothe chassis in any sultablemanner.

Instead of providing the hoisting mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,the modified construction'shown in Figs. 4 and 5 can be utilized. Byreferring to these figures'it will be seen that end posts 17 are mountedjournaled short shafts 19 carrying sprockets 20. Journaled in suitablebearings 21 mounted on the superstructure 18 are longitudinal shafts 22,these shafts being parallel and each of them being provided withsprockets 23. Mounted on the sprockets 20 and 23 are endless chains 24to the inner flights ofwhich are secured brackets 25 fastened to theends of cross'beams 26. These cross beams are adapted to support theframe 27on which the body 28 of the vehicle is supported. Each of theshafts 22 has an additional sprocket 29 secured thereto and thesesprockets engage a crossed endless chain "30 s0 that, the two'shaftswill be caused torotate in opposite directions. One

of the shafts'22 is provided with any suitable means, such asacrank arm30'. whereby it can be rotated. From the foregoing it will be apparentthatwhen the shafts 22 are actuated, the four lifting elements made upof the chains 24 will be simultaneously actuated, the chains at one sideof the structure moving in a direction opposite to the other chains 24.Consequently the brackets 25 will be moved upwardly and downwardly inunison, .thus maintaining the frame 27 and the bottom 28 horizontalduring the elevation of the structure; It will be apparent of coursethat the chains 24 not only serve to lift the structure but also preventlateral shifting of the frame 27 and body 28 relative to the posts 17 coies of this patent may be obtained for What is claimed is 1. Anattachment for the chassis of a vehicle, comprising a superstructureadapted to rest upon and to be secured to the chassis, of postsupstanding from said superstructure, a body supporting frame extendingbetween the posts and normally resting upon said superstructure, a bodyupon said frame, a longitudinally extending shaft journaled upon thesuperstructure, revoluble elements supported by the posts and adjacentthe sides of the two ends of the body, flexible hoisting elementsmounted on said revoluble elements and connected to the two sides ofeach end of the body supporting frame, said shaft being extended beyondthe ends of the body supporting frame and constituting means forsimultaneously actuating the flexible hoistingelements to raise andlower the frame relative to the superstructure, all portions of theshaft and the parts mounted thereon being disposed above the bottom ofthe superstructure.

2. An attachment of the class described, including a superstructureadapted to rest upon and be secured to the chassis of a motor vehicle,posts upstanding from the corner portions of the superstructure, alongitudinal shaft iournaled within the superstructure, revolubleelements supported by the posts, flexible elevating elements disposed inpairs, the elements of each pair being secured at one end to the shaft,means foradiustably connecting the elements of each pair at their otherend, the sai d flexible elevating elements of each pair cooperating toform a swing, a body supporting frame normally resting on thesuperstructure and extended at its ends into engagement with therespective swings, and means for rotating the shaft to raise or lowerthe body supporting frame relative to the superstructure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

T. EUGENE WRIGHT, JEREMIAH JAHiomo.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O.

